Notes: This car was run at the AHRA & NHRA Winternationals, at the AHRA race Don was Runner-up to Raymond Beadle and set Top Speed of the Meet at 230.76. Sold to Tom Hoover, who made it work and ran it for two and a half years. Photo is from the 1974 Wynn's handout taken at the 1974 AHRA Winternationals, Beeline, AZ. 6.59 Pomona

Submitted by Draglist Archives, Last updated on Sunday, January 17, 2016, 04:05:04 PM by
Thomas Nagy.
Approved by Bill Pratt.

Notes: Doug Thorley's Corvair is one of the best remembered funny cars of the Sixties. It was known both for its performance and its looks. The Corvair replaced his "Chevy 2 Much" '65 Chevy II. The new Pat Foster, Ron Scrima-built piece had tinted PlExiglas windows, a lace paint job, and gold painted Halibrand mags. The car was the poster child of late Sixties fads. Thorley had one of the great weekends of his career at Indy '67. The Doug's Headers Corvair ran 7.69 to win the race over a number of Hemi-powered machines. The 7.69 run and Indy win were the high point of Thorley's funny driving career. The notoriety from the win led to Thorley getting a deal with American Motors to build a rear-engine funny car, but the AMC machines never reached the success of the Chevy. On August 6, 1967, Doug Thorley and his supercharged Corvair ran the quickest pass to date by a Funny Car, a 7.86-184 mph. That day at Lions he also backed it up with a superb 7.91. At the Indy Nationals of that year he also ran a nice 7.83, winning the race as well. -- BS | Components: 490 cubes (stroked 427 Chev), GMC 6-71 blower, Enderele "bugcatcher" injection, Art Carr TorqueFlite-9" Ford rear w, 3.90 cogs, Exhibition Engineering (Pat Foster and Ron Scrima) chassis, coil-over shocks. Featured in 9-67 Car Craft. -- RT

Submitted by Barb Santucci, Last updated on Friday, September 16, 2016, 09:54:06 PM by
Ron Thums.

Notes: Lived up to the Corvette Curse, but set top speed at OCIR. On Dec 6, Pat drove this car to a 7.46-204.08 (top speed) at OCIR in qualifying fourth in an eight-car field. He advanced past the first round with an 8.92 single when Frank Pisano had a rod go through the side of the block on his burnout and shut down. He advanced again with a solo in the semifinal when Gene Conway broke on the line. In the final, he had problems and a 10.14-110.70 was no match for Larry Reyes in the Hawaiian at 7.34-200.

Submitted by Danny White, Last updated on Sunday, April 24, 2016, 01:08:49 AM by
Ron Howard.
Approved by Danny White.

Notes: This is the second car of 69, the mini Charger. After crashing the car at the Winternationals, Roland Leong had Logghe build a new Charger and he debuted on May 30 at an eight-car show at Irwindale where Reyes set low et at 7.47 but lost his first round race when Mike Van Sant's 7.55-196 in the Invader beat his 7.65-184.80. But Reyes got back in with the break rule in effect when Johnny Wright who won his first round race broke and couldn't return for the semifinal. So the Hawaiian had the lowest et of the first round losers was brought back into the show to race Mike Van Sant again, only this time in the semis. The Invader lost fire on the line and Reyes advanced to the finals where he ran a 7.64-184.80 to win over Ron Leslie. The next day (May 31) he raced at OCIR for the FC 500. A 7.40-200.06 qualified first and a better 7.38 (low et) at 199.55 got past the first round, and another 7.38-199.11 beat Gordon Mineo in the second round. Larry got a free ride into the final when Manuel Herrera blew his motor on the line. In the final, a 7.63-200.07 (top speed) beat Randy Walls for another win. On Oct 11, the "Hawaiian" was at Irwindale for a best of three match race against the Fuel altered roadster of Sush Matsubara. Reyes won the match by winning the first two races with a 7.53-190.26 beating Sush's 7.78-194 in the first race and his 7.72-176.81 beat the out of shape roadster in the second race. Matsubara did win the last race with a 7.78-194 when the Charger lost a transmission. Larry finished the year by winning on Dec 14 at Irwindale for an eight car show. He had qualified second with a 7.45 but improved to a 7.38-193.96 in the first round over Johnny Wright's 7.59-179. In the semifinal, he set low et with a 7.27-199.10 over Ray Alley's 7.74-194. In the final, a 7.35-199.54 beat Dave Beebe.

Submitted by Barb Santucci, Last updated on Friday, November 11, 2016, 08:33:37 PM by
Ron Howard.
Approved by Bill Pratt.

Notes: Leroy started the year at the wheel of the Ramchargers Challenger. He was runner-up to Butch Maas at the NHRA Winternationals before winning the NHRA Gatornationals. He switched to the team of Candies & Hughes in the Fall of 71 and promptly reset the NHRA National Record at Amarillo during the NHRA World Finals with an altitude corrected 6.80. At the 1971 OCIR Manufacturers Meet he ran a very competitive 6.74 at 221.13 narrowly missing the final round which pitted the two lowest ET cars.

Submitted by Draglist Archives, Last updated on Wednesday, December 26, 2012, 09:14:05 PM by
Thomas Nagy.

Notes: In June 1978, Dodger took delivery of a brand new chassis cloaked with a Plymouth Arrow body. Along with it came a new name: The Frantic Arrow and for the first time a Plymouth replaced the long standing tradition of Ford bodies. The team made some check-out passes at Capitol Dragway with the new car and everything was fine with the new operation. Dodger Glenn--the rising star of the 1970's east coast funny car wars whose light had burned so brightly, would be taken from us without warning. During a second round match against future world champion Bruce Larson at Maple Grove Dragway in July 1978, Dodger suffered an engine Explosion and subsequent crash which claimed his life. He was 33 years old with a wife and two young daughters. Dodger's memory will live on in the hearts and minds of all that knew him.

Submitted by Draglist Archives, Last updated on Monday, April 6, 2015, 06:40:22 AM by
Super Crew.

Notes: Rick Howard photo from 1996 U.S. Nats, Indy. Qualified 16th at 5.18, 295.76 but had the misfortune of running against John Force in round one. Would eventually be the sixth member of the Castrol Four Second Club (Oct. 26, 1996) with a 4.932 at Pomona, Calif.

Submitted by Draglist Archives, Last updated on Tuesday, September 17, 2013, 11:35:38 AM by
Rick Howard.
Approved by Bill Pratt.

Notes: Rick Howard photo of Funny Car Final Round at the 1997 NHRA Pontiac Excitement Nats, Columbus. Qualified on the bump (16th) with a 5.56, 249.65. Upset pole-sitter Randy Anderson, Cruz Pedregon (improved 5.47), Del Worsham (no-show for semis) and finally Whit Bazemore with a better yet 5.34 at 270.35 to cap off a "story book" race. Coming off open-heart surgery just 2 months before Columbus and returning to competition just 2 weeks before this event. It was his 5th overall NHRA Funny Car title and first since Sonoma '93.

Submitted by Draglist Archives, Last updated on Monday, January 30, 2012, 06:08:19 PM by
Rick Howard.
Approved by Bill Pratt.

Notes: Raced at OCIR Mfg. Championships 1968. Confirmed 7.68 at OCIR Also, 7.90-194.80 low ET and top speed at OCIR Funny Car Championships. Dave was driving the "Beebe and Fedak" Top Fuel car until the end of July. On Aug 17, he showed up at Irwindale behind the wheel of Nelson Carter's "Super Chief" Dodge Charger FC. The race was between FC's and Fuel Altereds. In the first round, he ran an 8.21-186.72 that lost to Leon Fitzgerald's 8.11-184 in the "Pure Heaven". In the second round, he picked up to a winning 7.80-191.88 over a crossed up Gary Reed in the "Groundshaker." In the third race, he ran 8.32-190.66 that lost to Sush Matsubara's 7.78-192. It was obvious that the car could run. On Aug 31, he went to OCIR for a sixteen car show. Dave set low ET and top speed in the first round with a 7.74-187.88 over Larry Barker's "Psycho" Mustang. In the semifinals, a 7.81-184.80 beat Gene Conway in the "Destroyer" Jeep at 8.27. Unfortunately, in the final, the transmission let go and Gas Ronda soloed for the victory. OCIR held a Fuel Altered vs. FC race on Sept 21. Once again Beebe was there. He beat Willie Borsch in the first round with an 8.35-187.50. A second round 7.95-183.20 beat Matsubara's 8.09-197. And in round three, he made it a clean sweep by beating Fitzgerald's 8.17-189 with an 8.11-191.48. On Oct 5, OCIR held a 10 car round robin race. Beebe won two of his three races with a best of 7.95-189.06 while beating Fred Goeske.

Submitted by Gena White, Last updated on Saturday, November 26, 2016, 04:43:29 AM by
Ron Howard.
Approved by Bill Pratt.